This was Garden Gale's first time running a 2400-meter race—her first experience facing competition at this overwhelming level.
On paper, the difference hadn't seemed significant.
Only 400 meters separated 2400m from her usual 2000m—just two furlongs, barely more than twenty seconds at racing speed. Both were classified as mid-distance. It shouldn't have been a big deal.
But now she knew better.
Only after running did she realize how immense that gap was. It felt as wide as a canyon, insurmountable and daunting. For an Umamusume, even 100 meters could open an entirely new battlefield, let alone a full 400 meters.
For Garden Gale, accustomed to 2000m, it felt like four times the difficulty—or possibly even more.
And in terms of pace…
This Derby utterly crushed the OP-level Wakagoma Stakes and her debut race without comparison. It was simply blazing fast. After all, this was a G1 classic—the competition intensity alone placed it in a league of its own. It was like handing an elementary-schooler a textbook titled Advanced Calculus.
Maybe that analogy wasn't exactly right.
But it sure felt close enough.
She'd gone off-track.
The point was—the race's brutal intensity clearly marked the gap between G1 and everything below. It was never something you could casually hope to win on a whim.
Even repeating "G1" a hundred times couldn't fully express its weight. The name itself, placed here, told you everything you needed to know.
...
Right now—Garden Gale's lungs felt like they were on fire.
Every breath burned fiercely, she was oxygen-starved. Her vision blurred at the edges, darkening from sheer exhaustion. The brutal tempo of the race had shattered her rhythm, leaving her desperately scrambling forward, driven solely by sheer instinct and stubborn refusal to lose.
She was running—running mechanically, like a puppet on invisible strings.
I have to speed up.
As she rounded the final corner, muscle memory took control, whispering urgently that it was now or never. The thought appeared dimly through the haze of her mind, clouded by dizziness and desperate gasps for air.
She had to run... to race ahead of everyone, because that's who she was: the villainous role she'd embraced. Her determination, her unyielding will, surged again, blooming fiercely in her heart like greenery revived from scorched earth.
Garden Gale rushed headlong toward the future.
Faster—faster—!
Her stamina had already bottomed out, but she pressed on, squeezing out every last scrap of strength for the final kick. The rough form of an immature [Sky-High Teio Step] emerged once more, the genius technique guiding her instinctively. Lowering her center of gravity, she swayed dangerously, nearly tumbling over as she charged forward, aiming desperately to surge from the outside lane—
To break free!
"TOKAI TEIO HAS STARTED ACCELERATING—!"
The commentator's voice rose excitedly—though he should've remained impartial, he couldn't help himself. After all, Tokai Teio's popularity was utterly unmatched, surpassing even the second and third favorites combined.
Everyone awaited her acceleration—!
Everyone yearned to see Tokai Teio's divine [Sky-High Teio Step]!
Garden Gale wasn't alone in her acceleration. The other contenders surged forward simultaneously, all desperately charging toward the finish line, fighting with everything they had. Every one of them yearned to become a Derby-winning Umamusume.
They shared one burning desire—to seize victory.
Rionatal accelerated.
Cedar Blade accelerated.
Yet, all eyes remained fixed on the outer lane, tracking that lone figure with desperate hope.
Surely Tokai Teio would win. She'd extend the Emperor's legacy, claim the Derby, and continue toward the Triple Crown… surely.
That's what everyone believed.
But as seconds passed...
Bit by bit, that belief faded into confusion, then shock.
Why was she so slow? Why couldn't she pick up the pace? Fans had assumed Tokai Teio only needed to start running seriously—but even seeing the [Sky-High Teio Step] that had propelled her to fame didn't change the grim reality. She was still lagging far behind.
…She might even lose!
The finish line was drawing dangerously close. The leaders were pulling away, yet Garden Gale remained trapped at the edge of the pack, utterly ordinary.
Did she even have a chance left?
The question hung in the air… but the answer was painfully clear.
No. It was impossible. Far beyond reach. This race was already over.
She couldn't break through.
Even as Garden Gale's spirit burned fiercely, even as she bet everything she had, her legs refused to respond. The brutal truth became undeniable—this was simply the difference in raw ability. She wasn't boxed in or blocked; she'd had every chance to surge from the outside lane, yet her finishing kick simply couldn't catch up.
And just like that—
With painful brutal clarity.
Garden Gale watched as Rionatal, the second favorite, stormed ahead to victory.
She became the Derby-winning Umamusume—and Garden Gale, the overwhelming favorite, was defeated in a shocking upset.
...
Garden Gale finished in eighth place.
Only after stopping did she look numbly up at the leaderboard. An overwhelming wave of emptiness and grief washed over her, intensified by murmurs spreading through the crowd. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, what to do, or even how to move. Her head slowly lowered, gaze hollow, standing listlessly like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut.
She silently endured the crushing disappointment from the audience.
Puppets don't cry. Puppets don't have hearts. They merely dance to the whims of others.
She opened her mouth, but no words came.
Then—
The space around her shattered, splintering like broken glass into endless shards spiraling through the void.
Within that infinite storm of mirror fragments,
Garden Gale glimpsed her own reflection, a face etched with sadness.
[Instance — A Genius's Journey Begins at Her Feet — Japan Derby Challenge Failed.]
[Sky-High Teio Step] ✖
[Next Attempt Available]: 3 Days.
The icon for the instance dimmed. Selas's system voice echoed emotionlessly, providing a cold, blunt cooldown period.
Damn it.
Did that notification have to sound so perfectly timed—!?
So this is what losing a race that everyone expected you to win feels like, huh…
Garden Gale crouched quietly, wrapping her arms around her knees, head bowed silently, saying nothing.
---
T/N: OHHH MAN ITS NOT GONNA KEEP REPEATING? AHHH SHIT, SHE MIGHT NOT FINISH IT IN TIME FOR SATSUKI SHO
bonus chaps
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